Part 4: Watercolor Paper | Do Not Be Afraid of Watercolor Series
Welcome to the Do Not Be Afraid of Watercolor Series. In this video we learn about the paper you need to be successful on your watercolor journey.
Watch the video for details and then find your shopping list in the description below. Let’s get started!
PAPER RECOMMENDATIONS
Sheets of 22 by 30 are probably the most prevalent. They can be quartered, halved, and halved again!
Arches — 140 pound cold pressed watercolor paper
Comes in various sizeS
Sized: Gelatin coated because the the watercolor sits on top of the paper before it soaks in, allowing for more movement and mixture.
5.9 - 11.8 cold press 140 pound water color paper
COLD PRESS VS. HOT PRESS:
Hot Press is like if you took an iron and you took off all your wrinkles and it’s nice and smooth
Cold press has a bit more texture
Rough has even more texture
WEIGHT:
140 pound paper is a lighter paper
It comes from 90 - 560 pounds
The more weight, the sturdier it will be and experience less warping
Recommend 140 pound paper, followed by 300 pound paper
TIP:
Tape the watercolor paper to your board so that it stays in place
Full Video Transcription:
Good morning. My name is Paul Valdez, and welcome to the Do Not Be Afraid of Watercolor Series.
Today, we will focus on paper and this is huge. In my humble opinion, paper is the most important ingredient in watercolor. And a massive reason why most watercolor beginners fail, get frustrated, become aggravated, agitated and plain old give up. I would encourage you to buy the best watercolor paper, you can afford.
And please do me a favor and stay away from this cheap watercolor paper that you see at Hobby Lobby and Michaels. Paper comes in many forms, sheets of 22 by 30 are probably the most prevalent which can be quartered and halved and halved again. This is an eighth of a sheet of Arches, 140 pound col press watercolor paper. This is a quarter sheet of Arches, 140 pound cold press water color paper, that has been taped down so that it stays nice and flat on my board. Watercolor paper such as Arches are generally are gelled. “Sized”, is the right word. It’s sizing is a gelatin that is on your paper that allows the watercolor to sit on top of your paper before it soaks in it allows for movement, allows for mixture. It's perfect for washes and wet-on-wet,
lovely to have. Especially for the beginner, I think Arches has more sizing than anyone else. So this is a good way to start.
Watercolor paper also comes in blocks and this is a small, 5.9, 11.8 Watercolor cold press 140 pound paper and it comes glued down on all four sides. Stick a little knife in there, go around the bend and it pops right off. Got a clean sheet, right underneath it. This is cold-press underneath it.
You'll see this is rough sixteen by twenty hundred percent cotton 140 pound paper. A little bit rougher than the other one and texture. Again, this is glued down on all four sides with just a little slot there. So you can insert a knife and go around and pop this little sucker off, super, super convenient, but you will pay for that convenience. I promise you.
Just quickly, let's talk a little bit about texture. This is rough. This is cold press And then there's hot press. Hot Press is like if you took an iron and you took off all your wrinkles and it's nice and smooth. Cold Press has a little bit more texture, Rough has even more texture.
140 pounds is a lighter paper. It comes from 90 - 560 pounds. So 92 to 560. I generally use 140. If I don't have it in a block. I will tape it down generally and if not, I'll use 300 pound paper, which is the next prevalent weight. The more weight the sturdier it'll be, the thicker it will be, and less warping. Weight is pounds per ream hence, the hundred and forty pounds 300 pounds.
You're going to pay a lot more for 300, 400, or 500, 60 pound paper.I promise you. But that's just personal preference, but I wouldn't go there until you are totally dedicated to watercolor.
Well, thanks for watching. This is as much as I can give you on our first video about paper, but I promise you there is so much more that we can talk about and we'll cover that in subsequent videos. Please like and subscribe, and if you know anybody that would enjoy this please make sure that you share this. Thanks again.
Good day.
